Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Are you a creature of habit when it comes to eating breakfast?When I was working, I was on auto-pilot, and ate the same thing every day...there was no time to think about what to eat.Now that I'm not rushing off to catch a train, well, I'm still pretty much eating the same thing every morning, actually,although I do seem to have seasonal eating habits. Once fall starts, and through the winter, oatmeal is my breakfast of choice.I usually sweeten it with a spoonful of pumpkin butter,some sunflower seeds, flax meal and a few craisins.I wouldn't have deviated from this pattern, but this recipe for baked apples caught my eye.

It's been in my recipe binder for years, but for one reason or another, I never made it. Until yesterday.

Oh, my, my, MY!

Can I tell you how good this is?

I can...and I will...It's SO GOOD!

Yumcious!

Delish!

Mouth-watering!

You get the idea.

I liked it a lot.

I ate it three times yesterday...

with yogurt and granola, on a waffle, and right out of the pan.

Good thing I didn't have any vanilla ice cream, or I would have had that, too.

This morning, I mixed the apples into my oatmeal, and I was swooning!

I clipped the recipe from Cooking Light magazine, years ago.The directions say to mix all of the ingredients together, and cook in the microwave for 20 minutes.Usually, I'm all for taking the easy way out, but somehow, microwaving apples, seemed... well, unbefitting of such an fragrant fruit.Half the enjoyment of baking apples is taking pleasure in the aroma,and I didn't want to deprive myself of that. I mean, the name of the recipe is Baked Apples, for goodness sake.And so, because I had the time, I baked my baked apples.

The recipe calls for six apples. That seemed like a lot, even for me.I cut the recipe in half, but used four apples instead of three, since I wanted it to be more apple-y than cranberry-y. I omitted the walnuts, since Mr. Goo Shoes doesn't like nuts in his foods (not that I've shared any with him, yet, heh-heh).

Unless you want to make a shisl full (*Yiddish for huge bowl),you may want to make half of the full recipe, below.

Baked Apple Compote

(recipe from Cooking Light magazine)

2 cups dried cranberries

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup water

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

6 apples - about 6 pounds (Gala, Rome, Ida Red or McIntosh)

Combine all ingredients in a large oven-proof dish. Bake at 350°F for approximately 50-60 minutes, or until apples are soft. Stir occasionally.

Alternate method: Place ingredients in microwave safe dish. Microwave on HIGH for 20 minutes, or until apples are soft, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 6 cups

I think I'll make another batch on Sunday morning, and serve it over pancakes.

so I'll not apply that moniker to myself, but I will say that I am a...

HUGE FAN.

(Let me say right here that I am not being compensated in any way by Trader Joe's...I just really love their products).

I'm not kidding, if I had to choose three material things I could not live without,

I'd say my cell phone, my down comforter...and Trader Joe's.

OK, maybe that does qualify me as a fanatic.

Apparently there are a lot of us out there. I know, because some of them are my former co-workers.

When I was still working at a television network, we had a monthly meeting to talk about which programs we should air in prime-time.This was pretty important stuff...as our decisions were critical in attracting millions of TV viewers to tune in.

This vital strategy session was called the...

"Prime Time Calendar/What I Found at Trader Joe's" meeting.

I'm serious.

Not a meeting went by that we didn't spend the first twenty minutes discussing new products we discovered at Trader Joe's. Finally, we'd get down to real business, deep into strategic discussions about network competition and Nielsen ratings, when someone would say,"OMG, have you tried the Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar Dark Chocolate Almonds? They're a-MAZ-ing!"

Now, instead of sharing my Trader Joe faves with them, I get to share them with you. :)Hopefully you are not in the middle of something really important, like brain surgery, while you're reading this, because I'd hate for you to stop in the middle of an operation to write me an "omg, you've got to try the Speculoo's Cookie Butter!" comment. So, what was my methodology for coming up with my 12 favorite fall foods? The notion of such a collection was not pre-meditated.It was truly an "aha" moment, while I was waiting to check out at Trader Joe's. As I looked down at my bounty of seasonal items, I saw the rough draft of a blog post sitting right there in the bottom of my shopping cart.

Many of these seasonal specialties have been on my best-loved list for years;a few are new this season (at least to me), and have become instant favorites.

Here is my list, in no particular order.

1. PITA CRISPS WITH CRANBERRIES AND PUMPKIN SEEDS

OK, maybe this is in some kind of particular order, and maybe this is my favorite thing on the list. And maybe I ate an entire bag on the way home from Trader Joe's. Whatever. They're a little salty, a little sweet; a lot of crunch. Note to self: Try with goat cheese (and put them in the trunk next time).

2. PUMPKIN BREAD AND MUFFIN MIXI don't often do mixes, but this is one of my exceptions. It's a bread, it's a muffin...I bet it can even masquerade as a baked donut. I like to mix in chocolate chips, but I'm dreaming of my next batch, swirled with Nutella (like my Banana-tella bread).

3.ORGANIC PUMPKIN PUREESure, you can get canned pumpkin anywhere. Not only is this organic, it's cheaper than other brands I've seen (as are many of TJ's products). Oh, and it's got a yumcious recipe for pumpkin pie on the back.

4. PUMPKIN CRANBERRY CRISPSI bought these little sweet-and-savories last year to serve with cheese (delish with #12!). They were such a hit, that I am now required to buy extra boxes for friends who don't live near TJ's. Hey Siri, what are Trader Joe's expansion plans?

5. HONEYCRISP APPLE CIDERIt's juice, whole juice, and nothing but the juice. No preservatives, like another brand I tried. Honeycrisps are my favorite apples, so when I saw this, I HAD to try it. I even taste-compared this to a "fresh" Honeycrisp cider. Do you think I would have listed it as a favorite if the other brand won? (TJ's is less watery, btw).

6. PUMPKIN BUTTERI can't believe it's not butter! Not even close...no dairy, no fat, no cholesterol...just a pumpkin spread with yummy spices in it. I hoard it so I can enjoy year-round. How do I love thee, pumpkin butter? Mostly, in my oatmeal, and in plain yogurt. Or...spread on an english muffin (British muffin, if it's from TJ's), topped with cottage cheese sprinkled with cinnamon, and broiled in the toaster oven a few minutes. I just drooled on my keyboard thinking about it.

7. ORGANIC PUMPKIN FROSTED TOASTER PASTRIESI bought these for Junior Goo Shoes as a treat, since they are healthier than other toaster pastries (that would never pass my label-reading test). Although the directions say you can microwave them, we both agreed that they taste much better toasted. And two taste better than one. In My Humble Opinion.

8. TURKEY CHILI WITH BEANSI'm not a meat-out-of-a-can kinda girl, but this is really good! I don't even know what made me first buy this, but now I always keep a can or two on hand for emergencies (Oh - now I remember - I bought this when our power was out, because it was something that could be heated on my gas stove). It's great for filling taco shells, btw. Hide the cans, and no one will know the difference. I won't tell.

9. CRANBERRY MAPLE NUT GLUTEN FREE GRANOLAGood enough to eat out of the bag, it's also a great topping for yogurts. And it's glutton-free, so I won't pig out on it. Ohhhh...gluten-free. My bad. That's good, too.10. GREEK NONFAT PUMPKIN YOGURTI have to admit, I don't usually buy TJ's yogurt. But this pumpkin number called out to me when I was walking by. It's so rich and creamy, that I double-checked the label to make sure it was nonfat. Mixed with mini-chocolate chips, it's a "reduced-guilt" dessert (to borrow a phrase from TJ).

11. PUMPKIN BAR BAKING MIXIt's a pumpkin blondie (is that an oxymoron?) I baked, I tasted, I ate half the pan. OK, I really didn't, but I wanted to. It literally took two minutes to mix these up, and another 25 minutes to bake. Almost-instant baking gratification. The fact that I was on the elliptical while these were in the oven cancels out the calories.

12. TOSCANO CHEESE WITH CINNAMONI promised myself I wouldn't give in to temptation to buy this. But curiosity got the better of me. Crusted with cinnamon?
Oh, yes...YES! It's a hard cheese (a little softer and creamier than parmesan), and the cinnamon gives it a nutty taste. Drizzled with honey? Swoon-worthy! All hope of ever resisting this again is over. It's probably my favorite 'favorite' of all. I know, I'm rambling, but I'm in love.

Soon the shelves will be stocked with holiday specialties.

What are some of your favorite seasonal products from TJ?

Did somebody say Minty Marshmallows?Word.

PS - Want a good laugh about those Trader Joe's fanatics? Watch this video.

It's no surprise, then, that candy came to mind when I was thinking about decorating ideas for Halloween.

You know by now that I am all about doing things the laziest easiest way possible,so I simply filled bowls and vases with candy, added candles (the battery-operated kind), and used them to decorate my buffet.

The best part is, you can eat your centerpieces when you are through with them :)Or, you can sneak a few pieces whenever you walk by...not that I did that...of course not.

I think the buffet looks pretty "sweet"...guess I'll have to plan a Halloween party.

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About Me

After a lengthy career in the TV industry, I've put my dress-for-success clothes into storage, and tried on my domestic “genes” instead. Follow me as I satisfy my nesting instincts, fulfill my passion for travel and do a little soul-searching…all while trying to stay one step ahead of my teenager.

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